School History of North Carolina : from 1584 to the present time

by John W. Moore

9. What is said of General Washington?

CHAPTER XXX.

STONY POINT AND CHARLESTON.

A. D. 1779 TO 1780.

The capture of Savannah caused uneasiness in all the Southern States. It was seen at once that Georgia was but a starting point in a general scheme of transferring hostilities from the north. Early in 1779, General John Ashe reached Charleston with two or more brigades of militia. These were hurried off, at the importunate demand of the Governor of South Carolina, to attack the British at Augusta.

2. General Ashe remonstrated, saying his men were not yet ready for active service in the field; he obeyed orders, however, and took the field as directed. On his approach the enemy retired down the Savannah River, and Ashe, dividing his force, was so unfortunate as to fall into an ambush on Brier Creek, where his men, who were raw, undisciplined troops, were taken by surprise and routed.

3. A little later, and elsewhere, there was better fortune. At Stony Point, on the Hudson River, a strong American fortification had been recently captured by the British. General Wayne found that it was garrisoned by six hundred Scotch Highlanders, constituting one of the regular Royal regiments. The work was nearly surrounded by the river and by morasses, and the single approach was so swept by the guns of the work, and also by those of several ships-of-war lying close by for the purpose of aiding in its defence, that it seemed wellnigh hopeless to attempt its capture.

4. But hopeless as it seemed, General Wayne determined to make the attempt. He drew near at midnight, and with unloaded muskets, and courage that has never been surpassed, captured the stronghold at the point of the bayonet.

5. Two columns of assault were sent in on the right and left; but to Major Hardy Murfree's two companies of the Second North Carolina Continental Regiment, as a forlorn hope, was the post of real honor and danger assigned. They charged full in front, up the steep hillside, through several lines of abattis, and in this way received the hottest of the enemy's fire. The capture of the fort was largely due to the gallantry of the North Carolina troops.

1780.